Draft gear



May 26, 1925;

H. C. PRIEBE DRAFT GEAR 2 Sfieets-Sheet 1 Eda/2202"." Erma/z C,Z7-d65e Filed July 31 May26, 1925. 1,539,368

H. C. PRIEBE DRAFT GEAR Filed July 51 1824 2 SheGtS-Shet 2 Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES HERMAN e, PRIEBE, on BLUE-ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed July 31, 1924. Serial No. 729,246.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMA C. Pruner, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and the State oflllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement .in Draft Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to draft gears for railroad cars of the class employing draft sills, couplers, coacting rockers and cooperating motion resisting springs.

The structure of my invention contains an abutment structure which is inclusive of two spaced apart abutments actuatableby the coupler, a follower movable withrespect to said abutment structure by the coupler, two rockers turning respectively upon said abutments, one rocker also turning upon the follower, a spring interposed between one .rocker and its abutment, the rockers having coacting parts causing their relative move ment to be opposed by said spring when the gear is subject to draft strain, and motion limiting stops upon the draft sill structure respectively individual to said follower and abutment structure to limit their. relative movement in responseto draft strains.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rockers turn horizontally'and are interleaved or overlapped to keep them in assembly and guard them against relative vertical displacement. The follower engaging rocker also desirably overlaps the follower to keep this rocker from dropping. Two pairs of rockers are preferably employed, two rockers of the different pairs that pertain to the same abutment also interleaving or overlapping to further the same purpose and also to increase their leverage.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view, partially in section, the gear not being under strain; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on llne 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view illustrating changed positions, the gear being under strain; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4- of Fig. 3; and Fig. v5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Phe structure illustrated includes the draft sills 1, here shown as also constituting the center sills. These sills carry the motion limiting stops 2, 2, the stops 2' being engag'eable by the coupler yoke, to limit its inward movement. A coupleris interposed between the sins a each end of the car.-

The stem 4 of this'coupler is assembled with the coupler yoke 3. The draft elements 3 and 4 are in lost motion connection, permitting their relative movement'lon'gitudinally thereof. To this end, akey 5 is carried by the coupler stemand passes through elongateds1ots'6 formed in the coupler yoke and through elongated slots 7 formed in the sills. A pair of rockers 8, 9 andanother pair of rockers 10, 11 are employed as parts of the motion resisting mechanism of the gear, being surrounded by the yoke to be in the line of draft. The abutment structure includes an abutment 12 and constitutes a part of the yoke and is, therefore, carried by the yoke. Rockers 9 and 11 are fulcrumedto turn upon the abutment 12, a spring 13 being interposed between these rockers and this abutment which is enlarged to be" in the form of a housing 12" to surround and align the spring; The rockers 9 andll are shown as being 'fulcrurned. u on the abutment structure and yoke to turn horizontally, preferably by their hinge portions 14 turning in sockets 15 formed upon the I rim of the housing.

A follower 16 is movable longitudinally of the gear and with respect to the abutmerit structure by the coupler stem/1 in re.- sponse to coupler thrusts and engages stops 2 to" limit its outward movement. The rockers 8 and 10 are shown as being fulcruined upon this follower to turn horizontally, the ear portions 17 upon these rockers overlapping and underlying the fol lower to aid in preserving these rockers and follower in assembly when the rockers are arranged to turn horizontally. A second abutment 18, pertaining to rockers 8, 10, is in fixed relation with the abutment 12, these abutments and the coupler yoke being preferably formed in one integral casting. The. rockers 8 and 10 are also fulcrumed upon abutment 18 to turn horizontally as illustrated. The abutments are spaced apart longitudinally of the gear, the abutment'18 being interposed between the follower and the abutment 12.

The rocker; 8 of the pair 8, 9 and the rocker 10 of the pair 10, 11 have cam formations 19, 20 which have cam or leverage upon which the rockers are forced to turn by the draft strains as the follower and abutment structure are moved, either toward the other. The cam formations 19 and 21 are interleaved and preserve the rockers carrying them in assembly. The rockers 8 and 10 of the two pairs have interleaving or overlapping formations 23 engaging and turning upon the abutment 18' to promote the assembly of the two pairs of rockers.

Changes may be made without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim Y 1. In a draft gear, the combination with a draft sill structure; of two draft elements that are movable longitudinally and which are in lost motion relation permitting their relative longitudinal movement; an abut-- ment structure moved by one of said draft elements and including two abutments spaced apart longitudinally of the gear; a follower movable by the other of said draft element and with respect to said abutment structure; motion limiting stops upon the draft sill structure respectively individual to said abutment structure and follower to limit the relative movements of the abutment structure and follower; and motion resisting mechanism including two coacting rockers respectively individual to and horizontally turning upon said abutments, one rocker also horizontally turning-upon the follower, said rockers havinginterleaving formations.

2. In a draft gear, the combination with a draft sill structure; of two draftelements that are movable longitudinally and which are in lost motion relation permitting their relative longitudinal movement; an abutmentostructure moved by one of said draft elements and including two abutments spaced apart longitudinally of the gear; a follower movable by the other of said draft elements and with respect to said abutment structure; motion limiting stops upon'the draft sill structure respectively individual to said abutment structure and follower to limit the relative movements of the abutment structure and follower; and motion resisting mechanism including two pairs of coacting rockers, the rockers of each pair being respectively individual to and turninghorlzontally upon said abutments, one rocker of each pair also turning horizontally upon the follower and having a portion overlapping the follower.

3. In a draft gear, the combination with a draft sill structure; of a coupler; an abutment structure moved by said coupler and including two abutments spaced apart longi tudinally of the gear; a follower movable by the coupler with respect to said abutment structure; motion limiting stops upon the draft sill structure respectively individual to said abutment structure and follower to limit the relative movements of the abutment structure and follower; and motion resisting mechanism including two coacting rockers respectively individual to and horizontally turning upon said abutments, one rocker also horizontally turning upon the follower, said rockers having interleaving formations.

4. In a draft gear, the combination with a draft sill structure; ofa coupler; an abutment structure moved by said coupler and including two abutments spaced apart longitudinally of the gear; a'follower movable by the coupler with respect to said abutment structure; motion limiting stops upon the draft sill structure respectively individual to said abutment structure and follower to limit the relative movements of the abutment structure and follower; and motion resisting mechanism including two pairs of coacting rockers, the rockers of each pair being respectively individual to and turning horizontally upon said abutments, one rocker of each pair also turning horizontally upon the follower and having a portion overlappingthe follower.

5. In a draft gear, the combination with a coupler; of an abutment structure moved by the coupler; a follower; and motion resisting mechanism including two coacting rockers between and respectively turning horizontally upon the abutment structure and the follower, the rocker turning upon the follower having a portion overlapping 10 the follower. I

6. In a draft gear, the combination with a draft sill structure; of two draft elements that are movable longitudinally and which are in lost motion relation permitting their relative longitudinal movement; an abutment structure moved by. one of said draft elements and including two abutments spaced apart longitudinally of the gear; a follower movable by the other of said draft elements and with respect to said abutment structure; motion limiting stops upon the draft sill structure respectively individual to said abutment structure and follower to limit the relative movements of the abut- 11 ment structure and follower; and motion resisting mechanism including two pairs of co-' the draft sill structure respectively inclividzontally upon said abutments, one rocker of ual to said abutment structure and follower each pair also turning horizontally upon the to limit the relative movements of the abutfollower, the rockers that turn upon the fol- 1 ment structure and follower; and motion re lower having interleaving formations.

sisting mechanism including two pairs of (10- In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe acting rockers, the rockers of each pair being my name. h

respectively individual to and turning hori HERMAN C. PRIEBE. 

